Metal plating nonmetallic substance



March s, 1929. H, c, ISHER 1,704,125

METAL PLATING NONMETALLIC SUBSTANCE Filed 1p1-11 12.* 1924 Patented Mar.5, 1.929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.`

HARRY C. FISHER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RICHARDSONCOMPANY,

OF LOCKLAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METAL IPLATING NONMTALLICSUBSTANCE.

Application filed Apri1 121924. Serial No. 706,193.

My invention relates to processesof forming on non-metallic surfaces, acoating of metal which is not removable from the non- Inetallic surface.More specifically it re- 5 lates to forming metal films on bodies coatedwith asphalt or some other bitumenand keying these films into thebitumen.

My invention is based on the factvthat if a metal in finely dividedcondition is mixed with Water and a volatile liquid Which is immisciblewith Water, such as benzol, under proper conditions, .and athoroughemulsion formed, then When this emulsion is poured onto waternear boiling temperature so that the benzol will be driven off, themetal which has coated or been held Within the body of the minutebubbles of benzol Will float on the surface ofy the Water, in what isapparently a solid metal film; `It is also based on thefactthat if'sucha film is brought into contact with an asphalt Isurface,or otherAbitumen surfacethat has been rendered tacky or soft by a solvent, the\excess of which has practically been drivenl off, then this film willcoat the bituminous surface and key itself into that surface, eachparticle in contact with the asphalt becoming partially embeddedtherein, to an ex-` tent tantamount to becoming an integral part withthe asphalt. `Such a film has the same advantages as a finely dividedmet-al freshly precipitated upon a tacky surfaced solid, and has theadditional advantage that it is applicable to .metals which are withdifficulty produced or held in a pure, re-

duced and nascent state and permits use of inexpensive reagents, whichcan be used on a commercial scale, as in plating asphalt vcoatedshingles, paraffin coated cartons and 4o the like. f`

It is my object to yprovide a commercial process wherein a film of metalis formed by the action above noted and is practically freedy from'thepresence of the immiscible `iquid that is used, such as benzolfby transnference toanother Water surface, and is there caused to unite with andcover a bitumen coated product. The portions of this film which are outof surface contact Withv the asphalt, exist in a powdery condition. Ithen cause these particles to unite with each other and With thosepartially v.embedded in the asphalt, to form a solid plate, by anelectroplating treatment.

I accomplish myobjects by that certain process to be hereinafter morespecifically In-the instance of copper,

set up. The proportions of Water, benzol and metal are easily determinedby experiment, as they depend somewhat on the nature of the firmformingmachine. The addition of dilute sulphuric and acetic acids Will assistin assuring the desired result,

Which is to form an emulsion of benzol and' Water, which emulsion Willcarry the metal or portions thereof.

The emulsion is drawn olf and passed into a float case. floats to thesurface and isioated onto the surface of a body of heated Water. I haveshown a oat case with sluice 1, extending into' a tank 2, which has asuitable heater. As fthe result of thisdeliveryl action and the heat ofthe Water, the benzol is liberated from the emulsion and isdrawn offthrough the hood 3, over a portion of the tank, to a benzol condenser,which regains the benzol for subsequent use. f

Here' the emulsion proper In the tank, I provide a roll 4 as a means forvdrawing the metal film which is formed by the driving of offthebenzol,entirely away from the presence of the benzol,as itrl forms, to theWater surface`in the portionv 5 of the tank, Where it Will lie quietlyon the Water surface, will accumulate into a con-` tinuous film, and mayby this means, be almost entirely freed of benzol. The impor-- tance ofremoval of the metal. from benzol lies in the fact that 'contact withtacky asphalt while in its benzol phase, or in 'the presence of benzol,would result in the asphalt coating the metal particles'.

Y tacky. It is then passed down over a roll The process should becarried on so as to get as much copper or other metal onto the surfaceof the water as possible. This can be judged by the fact that gravitywill overcome the surface tension that supports the metal film when toomuch metal is produced in the floated film.

The element to be coated which l have shown as asphalt coated roofing,which may have a slate surface, is brought through a benzol bath, inwhich, rifthe rooting is slate surfaced, there should be considerableasphalt in solution. From this bath, which softens the surface ofasphalt-surfaced roofing, softened asphalt on the surface of theslatecovered rooting, the sheet may be passed through a drier. lfdesired, benzol fumes may be used to make the asphalt-surface so thatits tacky surface comes into contact with the metal film in the tankportion 5. l have shown a roll 6 for the purpose. The sheet is thenfreed from water and any remaining benzol in another dryer. The roll 6will preferably cause the web to dip down and then return through theliquid, making it possible to take two films, if desired, and the rollwill preferably be below the surface so as not to disturb the film Thisleaves the product with a non-conductive keyed-in bo`dy of finelydivided metal and with a conductive surface of loose or dusty nature,which canbe readily wiped- 0E. i I pass.` the sheet through anelectroplater in which-the metal in question is being liberated and isdeposited on the conductive surface. The dusty coating may be so formedthat a very brief electropl-ating serves to unite all of the metaltogether into a solid, keyed-in sheet, integral with the asphalt. Thesheet is then washed and dried, and may then ypass to a shingle cutter,or other cutting device.

This process may be made continuous and? is economical in production ofmetal coated, non-metallic elements. f

The. reason for departingV from`known methods of electroplatingnon-conductive surfaces by a preliminary treatment with carbon orplumbago to give a conductive doi base on which to build, is that thefilm is keyed-in, the electroplating isv shortened, and all the coatingcan be of the metallic character desired.

My process may be applied to any surface but without the integral unityof the metal bodyy and the material to which it is applied. It can alsobe used to give a metal sheen, or color to products of bituminousnature, without the electroplating step.

Having thus described my invention,

or deposits a" what l claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A. process of metal coating a nonmetallic product which consists inapplying a bituminous surface thereto, rendering said surface tacky byuneans of a solvent, and bringing the productinto contact with iihn ofiinely divided metal supported on water surface by surface tension, andsubsequently electroplating the surface to unite the metal picked up bythe tacky surface from the said lm.

2. process of preparing an article having a metal coating which consistsin agita-tng together a finely divided metal, water and a volatileliquid insoluble in water to forni a metal-bearing emulsion anddepositing said emulsion on heated water thereby driving o' the volatileliquid and thereby forming a film of the metal on the surface of thewater making the article adhesive, and then bringing the article intoContact with theI film.`

3. A process of preparing an article having a metal coating whichconsists in agitating together a iinely divided metal, water and avolatile liquid insoluble in water to form a metal-bearing emulsion, and4depositing said emulsion on heated water thereby'driving 0E thevolatilefliquid and therebypforming a lm of the metal on the surface ofthe water, making the article adhesive and then bringing the articleinto contact with the tilm.

4. AA process for metal coating an article having a bituminoussurface'which consists in wetting the surface with a solvent thereof,drying the surface sufficiently/ to leave it tacky, Lforming a metalfilm on a surface of Water by liberating finely divided metal from ametal-bearing emulsion by heating the emulsion on the water surface,bringing the tacky bituminous surface into contact with Ithe film andsubsequently electroplating the metal covered surface to form the`deposited powdery metal into a solid sheet.

5. A process of incorporating finely divided metal into the surface of abody .which consists in forming a coating ofv 6. A process ofincorporating finely di-.v

vided metal into the surface of a body which consists in forming acoating of bitumen on the body and rendering the coating tacky on the`surface, forming an water, and a volatile liquid insoluble in water,depositing the emulsion on a fluid support under conditions which.evaporate Yemulsion'bearing a finely dividedu metal, of

the volatile liquid, and dipping Said body so as to pick up the film ofmetal upon the tacking coating thereof.

7. A process of metal coating a non- 5 metallic product which consistsin applying a bituminous surface thereto, rendering said surface tackyby means of a solvent, and bringing said tacky surface into contact witha film of finely divided metal supported on water by surface tension,and

thereafter electroplating the surface to unite the metal picked up fromthe film into :f1 solid body keyed into the bituminous surace.

HARRY C. FISHER.

